MOSCOW, August 21 (AVN) - The traditional Combat Commonwealth 2001 exercise of the CIS Unified Air Defence System is of strategic nature judging by their scheme and tasks, a spokesman for the CIS military co-operation co-ordination headquarters told the Military News Agency on Tuesday.
According to the spokesman, the exercise will take place on a huge part of Russia's territory from the Baltic Sea to the Trans-Baikal region. Missions on the western direction will be accomplished by air defence forces of Belarus and the Russian Baltic Fleet, while Kazakh and Uzbek air defence troops are to accomplish missions on the southern direction at the Kazakh Bari-Shagan proving range. The main stage of the Unified Air Defence System's live firing will take place at the Ashuluk proving range in Russia's Astrakhan region on August 24 to 31 under the supervision of Russian Air Force Commander Anatoly Kornukov. Its completion will be attended by leaders of the CIS Defence Ministries led by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov. In general, the exercise will feature air defence units from eight CIS countries.
Belarussian on-duty air defence forces together with Russian air defence troops of the Kaliningrad special district will hold live firing from the S-200 SAM system at the Telemba testing ground on Tuesday under the auspices of the exercise.
At present the CIS Unified Air Defence System comprises 31 air defence missile units, 17 fighter aviation units, 23 units and formations of radio technical troops and three separate electronic warfare battalions.